spir-i-tu'-ni-ty: spiritual opportunities which call us to grow, create, and self-express on the authentic path; where spirit and opportunity meet

Monday, April 7, 2014

The Secret To Creativity?

Courtesy Google Images

You don't have to be a Picasso to paint.

You don't have to be a Hemingway to write.

When it comes to creativity, it's not about how "good" you are at it. It's about expressing it in your own unique style.

We are creative beings. We are designed to create. It's not something that can be taught; it can only be nurtured.

When people ask me about what they can do to be creative, I tell them to show up and work at it. Creativity is not about painting a masterpiece that will one day hang in a museum. It's not about writing a bestseller.

Creativity is what happens when you are trying to solve a problem. That "problem" could be writing a poem, composing a song, designing a website, or landscaping your backyard. You come to an empty space and then fill it with life.

If you look at Einstein, Picasso, Hemingway, or whomever you deem creative, you'll find that they spent hours upon hours in front of their instruments of choice, applying their minds and souls to specific things. Sketch after sketch, draft after draft, they made attempt after attempt to get it right. They did the grunt work to master their skills to do more sophisticated work. They learned how to develop their ideas. They delivered finished work by showing up and working. Each day. Every day.

They didn't give up.

So, if you want to be more creative, pick up something you care about or are interested in doing and then get to work at it. If you start things and give up, then your problem isn't a lack of creativity; it's a lack of discipline and dedication.

Whether your creative attempts or endeavors turn out "good" or "bad" is inconsequential; things can always be improved upon as your skill set improves. Being creative is not about perfection. It's about showing up every day and letting it flow in whatever direction it flows.

When you reach a skill level at which you feel comfortable, you can either stick with it, or you can choose to develop it further, so long as you remain detached from the outcome. Instead, enjoy the process. Learn from it. Appreciate it for what it is and celebrate the discipline of it. It's a gift that can be sustained and enhanced with the right mindset, a favorable routine, and without putting too much pressure on yourself.

There is no substitute for showing up. It may not solve every problem, but it will allow your creative juices to flow toward an outcome, whatever it may be.

2 comments:

I think you nailed it, Penny. Human beings have a knack for waiting and procrastinating and never making the jump to create anything consciously. Life is a blank canvas drawn by you as a mirror to your heart and soul. Create what gives you joy and see the colors on the canvas come alive!

Get To Know Me

Penny McDaniel is a spiritual teacher, educator, theologian, and author/writer even though she finds titles limiting. She believes life is filled with what she calls "spiritunities", spiritual opportunities that call us to growth, creativity, and self-expression.